No. 8 TCU evens series with Cowboys

Weik hits two home runs, three RBI in Stillwater

STILLWATER, Okla. -- No. 8 TCU scored early and often to even the series against No. 16 Oklahoma State as they ran away with a 10-3 win Saturday afternoon. Joe Weik was the offensive star of the game with a pair of home runs and three RBIs.

Erik Miller (5-6) turned in another outstanding performance on the mound to earn the win. He allowed just two runs on nine hits in 7 1/3 innings of work. He walked one and struck out one. Trent Appleby retired the only batter he faced and tallied an important pick off. Nick Frey surrendered a run on two hits in his lone inning of work.

TCU jumped out to a 3-0 lead just eight pitches into the contest. Brance Rivera got things started with a lead-off single. Jantzen Witte executed a perfect hit-and-run to put runners on the corners. Taylor Featherston attacked the first offering he saw and smoked a triple to left center to give TCU a 2-0 lead. Jason Coats followed with a bouncer through the left side to plate Featherston.

The Cowboys turned a lead-off single into a run to cut into the Frog lead in the bottom of the first. Devon Shines singled and stole second with nobody out. Two consecutive ground ball outs pushed across the run to make it a 3-1 contest.

Oklahoma State threatened to climb back into the game in the second following a lead-off double by Nico Rosthenhausler. Luis Uribe doubled off the wall in right, but a perfect relay throw from Rivera to Jerome Pena and on to Josh Elander cut down the run to keep it a 3-1 game.

The Frogs built their lead to 5-1 in the fourth inning. Elander led off the inning with a double. Joe Weik jumped all over a Brad Propst offering and deposited it over the left field fence for his sixth home run of the season.

After seeing eight consecutive retired by Propst, Weik again made his presence known as he launched his second home run of the game to give TCU a 6-1 lead in the seventh.

Mark Ginther broke up a string of 12 consecutive retired by Miller with a home run to lead off the seventh inning. With two outs, the Cowboys got back-to-back hits to put runners on the corners, but Miller worked out of the jam as he got Dane Phillips to ground out to end the inning.

In the eighth, the Cowboys again looked poised to start a rally, but Appleby stomped out their rally with authority. With one out, the Cowboys had runners on the corners, forcing the Frogs to go to the bullpen. Without throwing a pitch, Appleby got the second out as he picked off Davis Duren at first. Witte made a sparkling defensive play at third to end the inning without any runs scoring.

TCU took the momentum and turned it into a four-run outburst in the top of the ninth. Weik reached on an infield single to open the inning and scored on triple by Aaron Schultz. Rivera followed with a double to left center to drive in Schultz. A misplay in center allowed Rivera to get to third. Following an intentional walk to Witte, an errant pick off throw plated Rivera. Coats came through with a two-out single to drive in Witte to give TCU a 10-2 lead.

The Cowboys scored on a run on back-to-back doubles by Luis Uribe and Hunter Bailey to account for the final score.

TCU improves to 31-14 on the season. The rubber match of the series is set for Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Allie P. Reynolds Field.